beach silverside
Atherinella blackburni
Silverside of Caribbean and northern South American sandy beaches. It has small commercial fishing and rarely appears on the line.
Also called: peixe-rei-de-praia, tinícalo playón, beach silverside
- maximum
- 13 cm
who is the beach silverside
Fish of the family Atherinopsidae, up to 13 cm and common size near 10 cm. It lives on sand bottoms, on beaches and shallow coastal areas, from the southern Caribbean and Central America to Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil. It feeds on zooplankton. It has small commercial fishing. The species is found mainly in sandy-bottom areas, unlike the lagoons where Atherinella brasiliensis lives. Like other silversides, it has an elongated, silvery body.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the beach silverside; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Elongated, silvery fish of the silverside family, with a silver band along the flanks. It has a long anal fin. It lives on beach sand and reaches 13 cm. It differs from Atherinella brasiliensis, which lives in brackish lagoons and reaches 17.7 cm. It feeds on zooplankton over the sandy bottom.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
It occurs in the southern Caribbean, Central America and northern South America, including Costa Rica, Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil.
Habitat: Sandy bottoms of beaches and shallow coastal areas.
coast
rules for the beach silverside
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: Not on the Brazilian national list (Ministerial Ordinance GM/MMA No. 1.667/2026).
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Harmless to anglers, with no dangerous spines or teeth.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00525, b = 3.11; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Atherinella blackburni (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Atherinella blackburniNames by country and language.
- official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026: Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)The species is not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.
